CVE-2023-24943 in Windows
Summary
by MITRE • 05/09/2023
Windows Pragmatic General Multicast (PGM) Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/01/2023
The Windows Pragmatic General Multicast (PGM) protocol represents a critical remote code execution vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-24943 within the Windows operating system ecosystem. This vulnerability specifically targets the PGM implementation in Windows systems, which is designed to support multicast communication patterns for efficient data distribution across networks. The flaw exists in how Windows handles certain PGM protocol messages and network packets, creating an exploitable condition that could allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected systems. The vulnerability stems from improper validation of incoming PGM packets, particularly when processing multicast traffic that utilizes the PGM transport protocol. Attackers can leverage this weakness by sending specially crafted PGM packets to vulnerable Windows systems, potentially leading to complete system compromise without requiring authentication or local access. The PGM protocol is commonly used in enterprise environments for high-performance data distribution, making this vulnerability particularly concerning for organizations relying on multicast communication patterns.
The technical exploitation of CVE-2023-24943 occurs through buffer overflow conditions within the PGM protocol handler components of the Windows kernel. When processing malformed or specially constructed PGM packets, the system fails to properly validate input parameters, leading to memory corruption that can be leveraged for code execution. This vulnerability maps directly to CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-125, which addresses out-of-bounds read vulnerabilities. The flaw manifests when Windows receives PGM packets containing oversized or malformed data structures that exceed allocated buffer boundaries. Attackers can construct packets with malicious payloads that, when processed by the vulnerable PGM implementation, cause the system to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the Windows kernel. The exploitation process typically involves crafting network traffic that triggers the buffer overflow condition during packet parsing, followed by execution of shellcode within the kernel context.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends across enterprise networks where multicast communication is utilized, particularly affecting Windows servers and workstations that have PGM protocol support enabled. Organizations using Windows-based systems for high-performance computing, multimedia streaming, or distributed application communication face significant risk from this vulnerability. The remote nature of the exploit means that attackers can target vulnerable systems from outside the network perimeter, potentially enabling lateral movement and privilege escalation within affected environments. Security analysts have noted that this vulnerability can be particularly dangerous in data center environments where PGM is used for cluster communication, as a successful exploit could compromise entire server clusters. The vulnerability affects multiple Windows versions including Windows 10, Windows 11, and various Windows Server editions, with the risk being highest on systems that have multicast capabilities enabled or that receive multicast traffic from external sources.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023